After speaking, Hunter Liu retrieved the white pouch from the wooden box and opened it to read the note inside.
Hunter Liu had hoped that the village chief would leave some critical information on this note. When he read the first pouch's message earlier, he realized the chief was withholding many secrets. Now, after acquiring the Stellar Coffin and the Starshard Blade, he finally felt ready to uncover the truth hidden in this second pouch.
As he scanned the note, his expression quickly grew serious.
"What's wrong, Brother Hunter?"
Liu Qin and Liu Huihui, noticing his change in demeanor, leaned in to read the note as well.
It only took a glance for their faces to mirror Hunter Liu's, their brows furrowing as their expressions became equally heavy and concerned.
The three exchanged looks, but no one spoke. It wasn't that they had nothing to say—it was that they didn't know what to say. Instead, they silently returned their attention to the words on the note.
The message began with this line:
"Son of the hunter, by the time you open this second pouch, I will have already led the villagers into the depths of the Dark Star Forest. This is tied to the greatest secret of Liu Song Village, and now I will reveal it to you…"
The Dark Star Forest was an enormous expanse that spanned nearly one-fifth of the Huaxing Continent, a vast area of dense wilderness. Thirty miles south of Liu Song Village lay its outer edge, where hunters often ventured to hunt wild beasts. However, no one dared venture into its depths. Even Meridian Opening cultivators avoided it, and only those at the Star Absorption or Void Core stages would enter boldly.
Yet even those cultivators, if reckless, would struggle to leave the forest alive.
Now the village chief claimed he had taken all the villagers into the forest's depths. To anyone, this would seem like suicide.
The chief's strength was modest at best, and the villagers of Liu Song Village were ordinary people. How could they hope to survive in a place like the Dark Star Forest, where even two random Star Demons could annihilate them?
Star Demons were a class of bloodthirsty, savage creatures, far beyond mere beasts. They devoured humans on sight. These creatures were ranked across nine tiers, with every three tiers corresponding to the Meridian Opening, Star Absorption, and Void Core stages. However, due to their innate savagery and superior physicality, Star Demons of the same level were far stronger than human cultivators.
Hunter Liu pushed his thoughts aside and continued reading eagerly.
"Son of the hunter, do not worry about us. Right now, we are safe. We are waiting for you to come and bring us back—to return us to the main Liu family. However, you must reach the Void Core stage before you attempt to enter the forest. Otherwise, you will only be throwing your life away."
This statement puzzled the three of them even further. How could they possibly be safe in the Dark Star Forest, a haven for Star Demons?
Hunter Liu grew even more perplexed. Why was it necessary to wait until the Void Core stage to venture into the forest? Even at that level, it wouldn't be a place to roam freely. Clearly, there was a deeper mystery at play here.
"Son of the hunter, do you know that when the Wolf Gang and the Skull Gang discovered treasures in the shrine, I used my innate power to divine the truth? I learned that you possess the bloodline of the Liu family's main branch. In other words, while I gave you the surname Liu, it turns out that your true surname has always been Liu."
Reading this, Hunter Liu's thoughts grew even more tangled. So the surname Liu, which he thought was bestowed by the village chief, had been his true family name all along? This revelation only added more layers to the mysteries surrounding his identity.